In mixing operations, especially when blending fat and starch materials used in the food industry, various paddle configurations have been provided for use with planetary mixing machines where the mixed end product is a dry or essentially dry homogeneous powdery-type mixture. By essentially dry is meant that the mixture feels dry to the touch and also appears dry, although some small amounts of moisture may have been added during the mixing operation.
Using such paddles, insufficient cutting of some material will occur and a homogeneous mixture will not be produced. As a result, lumps or chunks of uncut material will remain in the mixture and, no matter how long some materials are mixed, these lumps would not disappear. If a wire whip is used, there will be insufficient structural strength to mix some materials. Wire whips are used for light whipping applications of liquids such as when air is to be incorporated into light batches. The incorporation of air into the dry mixture of the present application is undesirable. Therefore, wire mixing devices are of insufficient strength and totally inappropriate for mixing operations where the mixed end product is a dry or essentially dry homogeneous powdery-type mixture.
The foregoing illustrates limitations of the known prior art. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations as set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features and benefits more fully disclosed hereinafter.